Former Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, says he has never sponsored thugs as a politician.
Amaechi served as the governor of Rivers state from 2007 to 2015 before becoming the minister of transportation under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2022.
In an interview with ABN TV, he revealed that his priest had cautioned him against encouraging political violence, adding that such actions would jeopardise his chances of entering heaven.
“Let me quote former President Jonathan, he said, no life worth my ambition. You will not see me in any political meeting planning for thugs, you will not see me say this money is for thugs; I will not,” Amaechi said.
“My Priest tells me that anybody who dies in the course of that money, you will be held accountable,” he explained.
“The society may not hold you accountable or send you to prison because you are a big man — but God will not allow you into heaven because he will hold you accountable. I don’t want to miss heaven.”
“That’s why I teach my children, my wife can testify, I teach it at home, we would like to go to heaven.
“When they say I am stubborn it’s not correct; I’m only disciplined. Let one person, including my former boss, say that I betrayed him before, and you will see if it is true or not when I say my own story.”
Amaechi’s comments come amid ongoing tensions between Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers state, and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory, over the control of the state’s political structure.
The crisis had intensified following recent local government elections, where violent incidents involving hoodlums occurred at three local government secretariats — Emohua, Eleme, and Ikwerre.
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